American COP Magazine June 2013 Digital Edition - Page 26

Hornady Critical Duty ammo uses the Flex Tip/FlexLock and the FTX bullet to help overcome the tendency for HP bullets to “load up” with debris when penetrating barriers. They use a polymer core, but the bullet still expands like a conventional HP. Scott Smith or the last few years ammunition manufacturers have been playing catch up from the buying craze of 2010. That doesn’t mean manufactures have simply been sitting around, though. They’ve still been improving and increasing load offerings for duty rifle calibers the likes of 6.8 SPC, 7.62X40WC, 300 Blackout and even new loads for the .223. There’ve been some improvements in bullet designs for handgun ammunition as well. Just when the ammunition companies were starting to see light at the end of the tunnel by getting caught up with order backlogs, Newtown, Conn. suffered one of the worst massacres in US history. The buying frenzy by the public since the incident has wiped out any stock the manufactures had, cleaned out ammunition dealers nationwide and has caused ammunition prices to skyrocket, making huge back orders the norm. And there’s no sign of it slowing down yet. 26 F As of January 2013, the average back order for ammunition ranged from 3 months to a year. Agencies nationwide are scrambling to secure training and duty ammunition and, in many cases, everything but mandatory training is being cancelled. Hopefully the 24/7 production pace ammunition companies are working will reduce the backlog. Now is the time to partner with a reliable LE distributor and make a good friend! Remington One of the newest loads for law enforcement is from Remington, the Golden Saber Black Belt. This cartridge uses the proven Golden Saber bullet but the jacket is mechanically secured to the core with the MechaniLokt system they use. This is a black band securing the jacket into a concave portion of the bullet, ensuring higher weight retention WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE2013